Two more political parties established yesterday

JAKARTA (JP): Nearly 10,000 Moslems gathered at the Al Azhar Grand Mosque yesterday to mark the birth of the Justice Party established by a group of young intellectuals.

Boasting the support of student groups in 21 provinces, the new party -- which can be added to an already long list of 56 parties created over the past three months -- promised to strive to find ways to help the nation out of the crisis.

"The people are now facing a food crisis, massive unemployment and poverty," said party president Nurmahmudi Ismail, a 37-year- old researcher at the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology and a PhD graduate from Texas A&M University.

"Bold steps are needed to solve the problems," he told his audience from various cities. He spoke little of party programs, but promised to outline them later, including a plan for the establishment of food crisis centers.

Founded by 48 largely unknown activists, many of whom hold doctorates, the party made a special call on the country's Moslem majority to bear the bulk of responsibility to restore Indonesia's reputation in the international community.

Among the party's supporters are the Moslem Students Action Front (KAMMI), whose activists were involved in student demonstrations to pressure former president Soeharto to resign earlier this year.

Party executive Hidayat Nurwahid said the party -- which promised to be open to people from any religious background -- would also serve as a social lever, and would closely watch President B.J. Habibie's administration and the Armed Forces.

At almost the same time yesterday, noted lawyer R.O. Tambunan declared the establishment of the People's Sovereignty Party (Pilar) at the office of the state minister of sports and youth affairs.

Tambunan, who shot into prominence after becoming the chief lawyer for the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) ousted leader, Megawati Soekarnoputri, in her battle against political rivals in 1996, blasted the current political system for limiting the number of parties and the people's right to assemble.

"Over the 32 years of New Order rule, political parties did not function as a channel for the people's aspirations; rather they served merely as tools to perpetuate the power of Soeharto's regime," he said.

Tambunan said: "The People's Sovereignty Party wants to know what concepts President B.J. Habibie has to solve the country's crisis.

"What will he do to save the nation from crumbling? He should clearly and openly present his ideas so the people can evaluate their efficacy.

"If the government does not yet have a clear strategy, we want it to invite experts to discuss and come up with clear and rational concepts to lift the nation of its economic turmoil," he said.

Review

Also yesterday, representatives from 17 newly established political parties demanded the government revise a stipulation in the bill on political parties currently being drafted.

The draft currently stipulates that only parties with branches in half of the country's 27 provinces and regencies can participate in the general election.

"The stipulation is much too severe," said Zakirudin Jamin, chairman of the Indonesian United Believers Party, as quoted by Antara.

"There's no way for us new parties to establish that many branches in such a short time," he said in the meeting held at Gedung Joang '45.

President Habibie promised to hold national elections by next May.

"It seems that the draft law, being prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs, is intended to maintain the (old system of) three political parties only," he said.

Wilhelmus Bokha of the Indonesian Workers Party said the meeting was designed to let parties get to know each other, learn different perspectives about reform and discuss ways to address the increasingly severe economic crisis.

Bambang Sulistomo of the Indonesian Democrats Alliance Party (PADI) said the meeting did not discuss the possibility of a coalition between the new parties. (swe)